Castle Planner’s Journal: The Missing Crevice

      “Hah! Should have learned how to jump.” Gaius teased the Slorg, who he was glad was not able to comprehend his uncharacteristic tease. “Maybe now you lot will stop clogging up my sewers.” Gaius lamented that his previous attempts to stop the sewers from backing up had not taken hold. At least Gaius knew that Slorg mucus was a contributing factor now.

     The orange Bori was the Castle Planner, and was responsible for anything architectural around the castle grounds. Normally Gaius would have given the job to the gardeners, but it was the gardener’s day off on this fine autumn afternoon, and his boss Lazlo wanted a report on Slorg control done by the end of the week. He took the empty can with him down the halls of the castle on his way back to the storeroom in the cellar areas. As he passed through the castle halls, he tried to be as invisible as possible, but it did not work. It was not long before a regal Aisha noble stopped him in the hall.

     “Gaius, my sconces fell off the wall again.” She complained.

     “Lady Tramble, I’ve explained to you many times, you really cannot swing from them.” He couldn't help from facepalming at this recurring issue.

     “It’s not my fault this time. It was Lord Gusteaux!” She tried justifying herself, but Gaius would hear none of it.

     “I will take care of it later. Please leave a note on my desk...” He sighed as he continued delivering his empty can.

     Just the kind of weird side tasks he was hoping to avoid accumulating on his trip to the underside of the castle. Eventually, he was able to dip into the kitchens, where the quickest path to the cellar was located.

     “Good afternoon Maple!” Gaius greeted one of his many friendly coworkers. Maple was the head pastry chef in the kitchen.

     “Well howdy there Gaius. What’cha got there?” The purple Ogrin asked, waving a poof of flour away from her face.

     “Oh, just returning the Slorg-a-way can back to the store room. Say... that looks tasty. What’s that you’re making?” Gaius wanted to get closer to take a look, but had to resist his urge because he was covered in dirt from working in the gardens. Maple would surely give him a wooden spooning should he get too close.

     “It’s fwesh dorkleberry frwitters! I helped!” the shrill voice of a cute baby Gelert piped up among the noise of the kitchen.

     “Come again?” Gaius could barely comprehend her.

     “Oh bless her. Twinkles here has been helping me make Dorkleberry Fritters. Extra tart!” Maple said shooing Twinkles out from under her feet.

     “I’lll be sure to come back to the kitchen as soon as I’m finished. I’m caught up for today, so how about I help out around the kitchen in exchange for an early bite fresh out the oven?” Gaius thought of the sour fritters, still warm.

     Maple thought for a moment. “Deal. I’ll have you scrape the baked food off the pots!” Maple giggled.

     “Oh wait, no.” Gaius immediately feigned. “I just remembered I have a thing I promised to do with… Someone else.” He jokingly lied, waved goodbye, and made his way out of the kitchen.

     Maple rolled her eyes. “See you around Gaius.”

     He rounded the corner in the kitchen to the cellar entrance. The Bori started climbing down the steep steps that were practically a ladder. Walking through the absolutely dark caverns of the cellar would be impossible if it weren't for the cracks between some of the floorboards, letting in just enough light to see where you were going. He placed the can next to the big sack full of extra repellent. He was momentarily distracted by the sound of footsteps above him, and the familiar and kind voice of Sir Borodere.

     “See you bright and early tomorrow Sir Brampfeller. I’m off for the rest of the day.” Jeran said to an unseen knight.

     “Ooh that reminds me! I promised Jeran that I would help him find that hidden passage!” Gaius recalled Jeran’s story of hiding in a hidden passage when he was first transported to Meridell unceremoniously. He debated calling out to him, but was a bit nervous, but as he saw Jeran start to walk away, he panicked a moment and impulsively called out. “Hello Sir Borodere!” Gaius shouted from the cellar up to the next floor.

     The blue Lupe looked around very confused. He heard someone calling his name, but had no idea where they were. “Hello?”

     “Oh, down here! It’s me! Stay there, I’ll be up in a moment.” Gaius assured him, as he retraced his steps as quickly as possible. As he rushed out through the kitchen, he nearly tripped over Twinkles as she was skipping out of the kitchen. Sir Borodere stood there confused a bit, but everything made sense when he saw the familiar orange Bori running up to him.

     “Sorry about that. Didn’t want to lose track of you. Got a moment? I wanted to help you find that old secret passage you mentioned a while back. “ Gaius said, panting from the sudden sprint.

     Jeran paused for a moment to remember what Gaius was talking about. It had been a couple of months since Jeran had last thought about the secret passages. Eventually, he remembered, and understood what the Castle Architect was asking of him.

     “Oh! Yeah, sure. Now would actually be great. I just finished my duties, however, give me just a moment to doff this armour. Come, follow me.” Jeran invited Gaius to follow him, which Gaius was not expecting at all.

     “Is the secret on the way to your chambers?” Gaius wondered.

     “No, but I could use help anyway.” Jeran smiled and led the way. Gaius of course was already familiar with where everyone lived in the castle. The room was small and kept modestly furnished, but it did have a rarity: A glazed window, overlooking the training grounds. Gaius was sure that previous planners had assigned this room to the Captain of the Guard, so they could keep a watchful eye on the training grounds at all times.

     “Come in.” Jeran invited him in.

     Gaius nervously stepped inside the sparse room. Besides a bed, wardrobe, chair, and desk, there was only a small painting of Jeran and Lisha. The last time Gaius had been in the room was to fix a window when Jeran moved in after earning the title of Champion. Then was the best opportunity to fix the room before Jeran moved in. Gaius himself had also recently inherited the title of Castle Architect, after his father died shortly before Jeran won the tournament.

     “How’s the window pane?” Gaius asked as Jeran opened the special cabinet to start putting his armour piece by piece where it belonged.

     “Oh! Still holding strong of course. Nothing to complain about. Could you unbuckle that?” Jeran asked Gaius to help with a difficult-to-reach strap. The Bori was quick to help the Lupe out, and Jeran was able to completely doff his armour and put it away for safekeeping. As Jeran pulled a simple cotton tabard over his undershirt, he looked a lot more comfortable. Meanwhile, Gaius had the opportunity to get up close and inspect the craftwork on his armour.

     “I’ve never gotten to see it this close up before!” Gaius was entranced by the detail.

     “You seem to have an eye for details, I’m sure we can find that secret passage in no time!” Jeran led him back out in the hallway. “I will show you where I remember it was.”

     They walked through the many wings of the stone castle, until they arrived at the Hotel Wing. This section of the castle housed those who were visiting Meridell on extended stays. Some stayed for a week, others, a few years if they were rich or important enough. As they walked up and down the many corridors, Gaius noticed that they had actually doubled back. Gaius sensed that Jeran was either lost, or was looking for something.

     “Having trouble remembering?” Gaius asked the determined-looking Lupe.

     “Um. No, it's around here somewhere. I’m sure. There was... a painting of a purple Skeith king.” He mumbled.

     “Oh, King Ewebert? He’s the only purple king I can recall” Gaius tried recalling the royal lineage.

     Jeran wracked his brain trying to remember the history books he was made to study as a squire, but it had been so long since it had come up, that it had faded from his memory. “Maybe?” He shrugged.

     “Well, I think that's on the next floor up.“ Gaius suggested. Jeran didn't have a better idea, so they headed up the nearest stairs to find the painting in question.

     Hanging just where Gaius remembered was a painted portrait of a purple Skeith with stilted, flat perspective. The old-style painting was covered in centuries of soot from the torches and candles, making the colours of the painting look quite dull and dark, yet the vivid purples and shining golds still came through. Jeran looked pointedly into the eyes of the portrait, staring down a few fears from his past.

     “Yeah. This is the place.” Jeran recalled an old memory from 20 years prior.

     Jeran had just tripped over the tree root that tumbled him through time. When his eyes cleared from the fuzz of the fall, he found himself on a creaky wooden floor, completely unlike the forest he was just playing in. As he approached the one window, he realized he was in a tall tower, high off the ground. ‘A castle?!’ he thought to himself, mouth agape.

     “Where am I? Am I dreaming? Maybe I hit my head.” the young Lupe thought to himself, giving himself a little pinch to try and wake himself up, but only winced in pain. He was completely awake. Jeran quickly thought about where Lisha was. Maybe she had also been teleported into the castle.

     “Lisha?” Jeran called out as he looked around the room. He knew he was supposed to be doing the hiding in their hide-and-seek game, but he was worried enough to forfeit the game. Eventually, he realized that she wasn't in the same room, and went out the door of the room to some stairs. Knowing he was high up, he knew to head back down. He descended the stairs, and called out for Lisha again.

     “Lisha!?” He shouted.

     “Who’s making that noise?” a gruff voice called out from up the stairs. Jeran turned around to see a shadow showing someone else descending to investigate. “If you kids are making a mess in my store room again, I'm gonna throw you out the window!” The angry voice threatened.

     Jeran, in a moment of panic, not wanting to get caught, rushed down the stairs. He had no idea where he was going. In his haste to get away from the approaching threat, he ran into a hallway, past someone in a suit of armour standing at attention. Jeran kept running, but he looked back to make sure he had seen correctly. Sure enough, a Draik wearing a set of regulation armour was standing guard.

     ‘Why are they wearing such a silly costume? Is this some sort of museum?’ Jeran thought, but his curiosities were quickly spoiled when he saw that the guard was now chasing him. The sharp-looking spear in his hand looked quite scary, so Jeran looked around for a place to get away. Jeran wanted so badly to call out for Lisha again, she must be even more scared than he was, but he knew that calling out would only make it worse for both of them.

     He was so in his own mind that Jeran hadn’t heard the guard shouting, alerting the other guards in the area. As he ran down the hall, another Draik in armour appeared from around an unseen doorway. Jeran didn’t have time to stop running, and went to dive out of the Draiks grasp, rolling out of the way in an unexpectedly graceful move. Now, out of reach of the confused guard, he scrambled to get up and continue running. Jeran had no idea what would happen should he get caught in this strange place, but he didn't want to find out.

     The hallway was lined with fancy and old-looking paintings, Marble busts, and the occasional thick wooden door. Needing to catch his breath for just a moment, he needed a place to hide, so he ducked behind a marble bust in a niche, and peeked into the hallway. Thankfully, he was quick on his feet, and was able to outrun the guards. He looked at the painting across the hall. A gruff, but regal-looking purple Skeith in a crown glared back at him while he hid. The eyes staring at him felt like the painting was desperate to give away his hiding spot, but was thankfully unable to talk, as it was a painting.

     Jeran averted his gaze from the flat Skeith, but his tail brushed against something unusual. Turning around to look, he saw a little hole in the wall, hidden behind the statue. A perfect hiding space. He crawled down and backed into the hole so he could keep an eye on the wandering guards. He saw legs pass back and forth in front of his hiding spot. Many minutes passed, but the frantic marching up and down the halls looking for Jeran continued. He was satisfied with staying hidden for the moment, but soon he started to worry again. Around his waist, he remembered he was carrying the wooden sword that he had been playing with only an hour before. Maybe it would be his only chance of getting past the guards and finding Lisha. He swallowed his fear, pulled out his sword, and crawled back out of the hole after a guard passed.

      “I was subdued by a few guards shortly after that... but I managed to take out two of them first!” Jeran gently boasted. “But I have to admit. It was so terrifying. That hour or so feels like weeks in my mind. It’s burned in there for good!” He gave a small chuckle.

     “That's awful. You were just a kid and you had to go through that?” Gaius sympathized. “Hopefully it's just a memory now.”

     Jeran nodded. “It took a while. But I think what really helped was getting to see Lisha again. Once I knew that she had never been there, I could forgive myself.”

     “Whew, Glad you had the time to work through it! Now, let’s find that mysterious nook. You said it was across from the portrait of Ewebert?” Gaius walked across the hall, and examined behind the statue.

     “Yeah. For sure. Should be low to the ground.” Jeran joined to help him check, but Jeran had done it before, and knew he wouldn’t see anything.

     Gaius knelt down and ran his tough and thick claws across the smooth cut stone. The large hunks of rock were undisturbed. “I don't see any signs of redoing the mortar, and the cut and colour of the stone matches the rest of the wall.” Gaius tapped hard on it. “It doesn't look like it’s been patched up. This wall is original.”

     “Oh! I always had assumed that they just sealed up the hole after they realized I had used it to hide.” Jeran stroked his chin in thought.

     “That doesn’t rule everything out. This castle has some weird magic in it.” Gaius explained, but before he could elaborate, Jeran and Gaius both froze in silence as they heard the ghostly sound of a crying child echoing through the hallway.

     “Magic you say?” Jeran started to joke, but the colour nearly ran from his face as he realized a possibility. “Oh no. What if it happened again?” Jeran’s attention darted around.

      Gaius couldn’t quite tell where the sound was coming from, but he knew that this crying sound was far too clear and sniffly to be the wind this time. Someone truly was crying.

     Jeran dashed up and down the halls. The sound of the child seemed to be loudest where they were. “Who’s crying? Do you need help?” Jeran used the booming voice he used out on the battlefield. He knew his voice would need to travel.

     The crying stopped only for a second, where a small hiccup interrupted it before they wailed “I’m lost!”

     “Where are you?” Jeran responded.

     “I dowt know? I was pwaying hiwde and seek” The voice faintly responded.

     “Wait. That sounds like Twinkles!” Gaius recognized the baby voice. “Stay where you are. We will get you out as soon as we can.” Gaius assured her.

     “Im scawred!” She called out, and started crying again.

     “She must be in the same secret passage!” Jeran scratched at the wall. “Why can’t we find the entrance?” Jeran pounded the wall. “Is there a way to break through the wall?” He asked, feeling defeated.

     Gaius took a look at the stones. “No. These larger stones are much too thick. It's likely structural.” Gaius looked up to the floor post resting above the wall. ”Even if we dug the mortar out, the wall would collapse on us.”

     “Maybe if I retrace my steps from that day long ago, we can find it?” Jeran looked around for the storeroom stairs. “But where are they?”

     Gaius knew the stairs were not on this floor. Then he noticed a ‘shadow’ to the side of a painting. Years of a different painting hanging there had protected that section of wall from fading. it suddenly hit him. “Jeran! I think I’ve got it! I know why we can't find the secret entrance!”

     “You do?” Jeran spun around in disbelief.

     “Years ago, I had to help my father rearrange the paintings in the halls! It was such a long time ago I had almost forgotten.” Gaius explained.

     “Why would you do that?” Jeran wondered.

     “I think my dad said something about Skarl getting new paintings and wanted to see those more often.” Gaius grabbed Jeran by the paw. “Come with me.” He smiled. “We have to check the other hallway!”

     “What about retracing my steps at the stairs from the storage room?” Jeran asked as he was dragged along by Gaius’s thick clawed arm.

     “That’s actually up one floor!” Explained Gaius as they reached the spiral staircase turret at the edge of the hall.

     They ascended, and could finally start hearing Twinkles even clearer. They ran across the hall, and bumped into a guard who was doing rounds coming down the storeroom stairs.

     “Oh, pardon me Sir Borodere.” the Purple Zafara tried recomposing myself. ”Say, who’s crying?”

     “Twinkles. Head down to the kitchens for me please, let her mother know where we have located her.” Jeran sent the purple Zafara off.

     “I remember it being on this side of the stairs.” Jeran guided Gaius closer.

     They both arrived at a marble bust of King Skarl and peered behind it. The statue was pushed nearly flush against the wall, but they could both see a change in the stonework that indicated something was behind it.

     “Pull on 3! 1...2...3!” Gaius coordinated their effort to slide the artwork, with him taking extra care to hold the marble steady. The statue was much easier than expected.. Had Gaius not been holding the bust steady, it surely would have launched off into the hallway.

     Now a child-sized hole was visible, which led to the space between the walls with the clear sounds of crying echoing inside. Gaius poked his head in, unable to easily get inside. “Twinkles?” Gaius called into the hall. “Are you in here?”

     As he called out for her, the crying stopped. “Where are you?” she sniffled.

     “We opened the door. Come back the way you came! Try to follow the sound of my voice!”

     “It’s wiggly. I don’t wemember.” She mumbled.

     Gaius sat there in silence, thinking about how the castle was constructed. “It’s an unusual method, but there must be gaps between all of the rooms. Maybe there used to be discreet passages between rooms, before the Hotel Wing was formalized to what it is today?.... Or they just wanted to save on stone. Either way it's a maze to her! Stay here. I need to get a map from my office to help guide her out.” Gaius scrambled to stand up. Before he could leave, Jeran grabbed him by the hand to stop him from leaving so suddenly.

     “Don’t go just yet. I think I can solve this one.” Jeran explained. The Lupe knelt down to the hole and asked “You know your left from your right, correct?”

     “Yeah?” Twinkles inflected.

     “Great! Let’s play a game. Put your right paw on the wall, and don’t lift it up. Walk along the wall, and trace your paw along. Keep following that right-hand wall!”

     “Okay...” Twinkles was hesitant at first, but was always happy to play a game.

     “What's this?” Gaius asked.

     “It’s a trick knights learn for if we get lost in a maze. You can get out by following the right-hand wall.”

     The two of them waited by the entrance for twingles to emerge. After two minutes of waiting, eventually the small Gelert could see the light of the hallway, and broke into a dash for the door, hugging Jeran’s in delight for helping her out.

     “Just in time.” Gaius pointed towards Maple, who was dashing up the stairs in a panic.

     “There you are Twinkles! I told you not to run off!” She scolded her while scooping her up for a tight embrace.

     As Maple and Twinkles shared their reunion and wandered off, Jeran noticed that Gaius had already started investigating the hole.

     “I think this might be the secret you were talking about! Want to take a look?” Gaius had already tried going in, but was partway stuck, his shell made him a bit too wide to fit, much to his disappointment.

     Jeran laughed. “No, Not today. I think I have had enough of a trip down memory lane for now. Maybe later.” He said as he reached down to help Gaius up.

     “Well enough. I will need to document this new entry another time, since I can’t fit myself. Thanks for helping me find it!”

     “Of course. Glad to finally put a place back to that memory. I couldn’t have done it without you. I should grab dinner. I will see you around the castle soon!” Jeran waved as he started walking down the hall.

     Gaius waved back, but then nervously paused for a moment. “I had fun spending time with you. Want to do it again soon?” Gaius was nervous about making a new friend, especially with a knight of Jeran’s status. He still couldn’t help but feel he wasn't important enough yet to be friends with him.

     Jeran paused, and then flashed his charismatic smile. “Of course! Why don’t you join me for dinner? I hear there's fresh dorkleberry tarts”

     * * * *

      Later that week, as Gaius updated his maps, he also updated his journal.

     “I have to say it was such a rush! I’ve managed to get some help from a young Ogrin named Wolcott, and we mapped the mysterious interior spaces. As for the statues, Jeran did an investigation, and turns out a guard thought the statue looked out of place, and pushed it back while on patrol, Trapping the curious Twinkles inside. She knows better than to run off now! I can’t do the investigation myself (I can’t fit!), but perhaps I can train Wolcott to figure out the purpose of this mysterious secret!”